


it's no coincidence my hand fits perfectly in yours

by expectopatronuz



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Friends to Lovers, M/M, Michael is oblivious - Freeform, Pining, Valentine's Day, and Calum is really cute, bit of angst because i cant write just fluff to save my life, malum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-08
Updated: 2017-02-08
Packaged: 2018-09-22 20:42:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9624530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/expectopatronuz/pseuds/expectopatronuz
Summary: “It’s not that bad,” Michael mumbled after a while, and Calum hummed thoughtfully.“What isn’t that bad?”“This Valentine’s Day, any of them,” He pressed the side of his face into Calum’s neck, wrapped his arm around his waist.“Why not?” Calum asked quietly.“I’m with you."Or, Michael loves Valentine's Day, and Calum always seems to be a part of it.





	

**Author's Note:**

> title is from things are better by tyler lyle

**2010**

                “Leave me alone,” Michael snapped from his spot inside the bathroom stall, sitting on the ground with his back against the wall, knees pulled up to his chest.

                “I’m not leaving until you come out,” Calum said for what must have been the thirtieth time, sitting against the wall on the other side of the door, hand laid out as if he wanted Michael to take it. He kind of did want to take it, but he also did have some dignity left.

                “I just want to be alone,” Michael sighed, but it was more of a whimper. He coughed, as if he could hide anything from Calum, as if Calum didn’t know him well enough to see right through him.

                He was quiet for a minute, and stretched his hand a little closer to Michael. He ignored it.

                “Well—” Calum’s voice was soft, almost too soft, “If you won’t come out, do you at least want to talk about it?”

                “What’s to talk about? You know what happened.” Everyone knew what happened. As if being dumped in the middle of the school day wasn’t embarrassing enough, she’d had to do it on Valentine’s Day. Of all the days, fucking Valentine’s Day.

                “I don’t know how you feel about it, though,” Calum said gently, and Michael laughed a mean laugh.

                “What are you, a shrink?”

                “No,” Calum was unflinching, unbothered, which just made Michael feel guilty. “I’m your friend, your best friend, and I want you to be okay.”

                “I’m fine.” Michael bit back, and another silence fell. The hand inched closer, and he finally sighed. “I – I had a plan, okay? Like it wasn’t a good plan. I was just going to take her to Santa Ana’s and I got her a cute – fuck – it was a stupid cheap heart necklace and a stuffed bear thing holding a heart and I was going to walk her home and—”

                Michael trailed off, and Calum let him. He glanced down at the hand, still open, and finally reached out. Calum squeezed once and locked their fingers together.

                “It sounds like a great plan,” Calum was practically whispering, not that anyone would hear. School had let out a good half hour ago.

                “It’s Valentine’s Day,” and after another silence Michael pulled his hand away to get up and open the door.

                Calum stumbled to his feet and pulled Michael into a hug, wrapping his arms around Michael’s neck, so his arms fell around Calum’s waist. “I’m sorry she ruined it.”

                “It’s so stupid to care, but like – she was going to be my first Valentine’s date and I know it’s a stupid holiday but I like it anyways and I was so excited, which is stupid too—”

                “It’s not stupid. It matters to you which makes it the opposite of stupid.”

                Michael just uttered a noise of agreement and buried his face into Calum’s neck.

                “Hey,” Calum pulled away slightly, forcing Michael to lift his head and make eye contact. He was still close enough that Michael could feel his breath on his lips. “I know it wasn’t what you had planned, but we could go to Santa Ana’s anyways, just the two of us. We could each eat a whole pizza to ourselves, maybe go play some Mario Kart after?”

                Michael smiled and kind of wished his face was still pressed to Calum’s shoulder. “That sounds like fun.”  

                Calum grinned and started to lead Michael to the door with one arm still around him, and even though Michael was still embarrassed and still felt like an idiot, he thought that it really wasn’t the worst way the day could have turned out.

 

**2011**

                Michael didn’t bother going home after his date, just went right to Calum’s. He practically skipped to the door, grinning like an idiot.

                He knocked on the door and Calum answered it, smiling in an amused, knowing sort of way. “Went well?”

                “You could say that,” Michael tried to sound coy, but he was too happy with himself and he just sounded jittery.

                Calum laughed. “Coming in?”

                Michael didn’t bother answering, just followed Calum through the door. He called out a quick “hello” to Calum’s parents but didn’t stop to chat, making straight for Calum’s bedroom. He hopped onto the bed and Calum joined him, still smirking.

                “So?” Calum prompted before Michael had a chance to start rambling, “You enjoyed yourself?”

                And then Michael did ramble. He told Calum about the picnic and about the chocolate she’d given him (which was kind of lame but what else could he expect really) and the bracelet he’d given her and how excited she’d been and how they made out in the park behind a tree and how she’d let him put his hand up his shirt.

                And when he was done, Calum was still amused, but there was something a little off in his eyes, something that only Michael would have noticed, and Michael was hit with a truckload of guilt.

                “Oh my god, I can’t believe I just went on like that, and you didn’t have anyone—”

                “It’s okay, Mikey—”

                “No it’s not, that was such an asshole thing to do, I’m so sorry—”

                “Don’t be,” Calum smiled up at him, but something still wasn’t quite right and Michael felt his lip quiver – which was – odd—

                “Are you okay? Really?” Michael asked, “And be honest because I’ll know if you’re lying.”

                Calum laughed. “I’m really okay—”

                “But then why—?”

                “I don’t want to talk about it,” Calum was still smiling, but when it became obvious that Michael wouldn’t accept that answer, he sighed. “I just – I guess I had a weird fantasy of someone realizing how much they love me and – yeah I don’t know why I expected, well—”

                Calum trailed off and Michael wondered briefly what Calum needed, what would help him.

                “Who were you hoping—?”

                “No one,” Calum interrupted, and Michael realized he’d said the wrong thing. “I mean – it doesn’t matter, it wasn’t really anyone specific.”

                Calum still wasn’t quite right and Michael didn’t believe him, and maybe he was too caught up in his own Valentine’s Day date to really see or maybe it was wishful thinking, but Michael let it go as a bit of innocent jealousy, suggested a video game, and pushed it back to the far corners of his mind.

 

**2012**

                Michael felt a little bad being resentful to the Valentine’s Day competition – their fans were amazing and they really did a lot for them and calling some of them felt like the least he could do, the most insignificant of gestures to show them how much they mean to him, but it just had to be Valentine’s Day. Of all the days.

                It wasn’t like he was in a relationship, he wasn’t letting anyone down or anything, but he definitely could have found a date if he hadn’t been busy. And he really loved Valentine’s Day dates, despite the kind of corporate mess the holiday was.

                He almost bailed on Santa Ana’s he was so bitter, but that wouldn’t be fair to Calum who had worked just as hard making all those phone calls, and who had been looking forward to the pizza for ages. And anyways, even if he couldn’t be out on a date it was nice to be out at all.

                So after Ashton and Luke were gone and it was only Calum left in his basement, he shoved down any resentment and smiled like pizza on Valentine’s Day was the best thing in the world, and said “Ready to go?”

                And the way Calum’s face lit up was worth it all, worth the calls and the lack of a date and the greasy pizza that always ended up sitting too heavy in his stomach no matter how good it tasted.

                They were walking – Santa Ana’s wasn’t far and it was nice out. Michael didn’t say much at first, but kept clearing his throat – he felt like he’d been talking for ages and it was sore and felt grainy.

                Calum wasn’t saying anything either, was still bright but was also a little far, holding his arms stiffly and looking down like he was nervous, or something.

                “You ok?” Michael asked, and had to clear his throat again – he was never making that many phone calls consecutively again.

                “Yes! Great! Good!” Calum said quickly, almost too quickly, but he had loosened up a bit, so maybe Michael had read the whole ‘nervous’ thing wrong. It made no sense anyways.

                “You sure?”

                “Yeah, I’m sure!” They fell back into silence for a moment, but then Calum cleared his throat. “Actually, I just – well, I had wanted to ask someone out for today, but I didn’t, well I sort of did, but I think they misunderstood it,” Calum trailed off, and Michael stopped in the street, facing Calum, confused.

                “Okay – I’m guessing I’m not going to find out who it is—” Michael looked at Calum expectantly, but he just shook his head. “Okay, then are you saying you don’t want to go to Santa Ana’s? You want to call the person now? It’s not too late—”

                “No, I still want to go.”

                “Then what’s wrong?” Michael asked, and Calum sighed.

                “I don’t know, I just – how do you tell someone you want more?”

                Michael laughed, then caught Calum’s disappointed gaze and felt guilty. “Sorry, I’m not laughing at you, it’s just – fuck, I don’t know. You just tell them I guess.”

                Calum nodded like Michael had actually given him good advice, then opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but closed it again and turned to keep walking.

                “It probably isn’t as bad as you think,” Michael started as they kept going. “Who wouldn’t want some of that cute butt?” He elbowed Calum playfully and he laughed. “There’s always tomorrow,” He added, and Calum nodded – it wasn’t the night for confessions of love. Calum was going for pizza with Michael and he figured that Calum must have decided to deal with the rest another day.

 

**2013**

                Meeting people in London was harder than Michael thought it would be, at least, meeting people romantically.

                Everything was just so big and it was so crowded everywhere that it was nearly impossible to have a proper conversation, and it didn’t matter really – they were so busy with the music that he didn’t expect to start a meaningful relationship. But he was far from home and even with Ashton and Luke and Calum, he got lonely sometimes, and a date on Valentine’s Day would have made him feel much less alone.

                Calum knew this – they all did but Calum never had to be told, and maybe that’s why he was so excited to throw a party.

                Ashton and Luke were on board – between the four of them they had racked up enough friends and friendly acquaintances to have a good crowd over, and surprisingly few people wanted a mushy Valentine’s Day; even most of their friends in relationships agreed to come. It completely baffled Michael.

                But it was a nice distraction from his loneliness, from being away from home, from everything. It was loud and crowded and he hadn’t quite comprehended all of the people they’d invited, it felt like so much more when they were all packed into the house.

                And Michael was downing jello-shot after jello-shot, wasn’t even sure who’s brought them because none of the hosts had made them, and he always had a beer in his hand, and he was dancing and talking and at some point he somehow ended up in Calum’s bed with a bucket on his chest, and his head resting on Calum’s lap.

                Calum was running his fingers through Michael’s hair, rubbing at the skin, soothing. He had started humming at some point and Michael couldn’t tell what song it was over all the noise of the party still going on out the door, but he knew that it was for him and it made him feel all glowy and warm.

                “You should go back out there,” Michael mumbled eventually, “Have some fun,” even though he didn’t want Calum to leave, wanted the fingers combing through his hair and the soft humming and the soft circles on his shoulder – when did that start? Didn’t matter. He liked it.

                “Bet you’d come right out to drag me back in here if I did,” Calum chuckled softly, and Michael had to admit that drunk him probably would.

                He hummed an affirmation, and then started tugging at the hand on his shoulder, playing with it. “Is it still Valentine’s Day?”

                “It’s past midnight,” Calum answered, and suddenly Michael was crying, zero to a hundred in a second, “Woah, what’s wrong?”

                “It’s another year and I’m supposed to be getting better at the whole love thing but I’m not I’m still alone and the whole thing means nothing,” Michael was sobbing so he was probably incoherent, but Calum nodded like he heard every word.

                “What means nothing?”

                “Valentine’s Day, I just end up pathetic and depressed and alone and sad every year and I don’t know why I keep caring but I do.”

                “Caring isn’t a bad thing,” Calum spoke so softly, so calmly. He was so warm and bright and Michael rolled and pushed the bucket behind him, pulling Calum down so he could lie on his chest.

                Calum wrapped an arm around him, rubbing his back gently, and took a deep breath. “It’s a good thing, that you care. I know that right now it sucks but one day someone is going to love that about you. It’s amazing, it’s so adorable.”

                Michael sniffled. “You think so?”

                “I really do.”

                Michael wasn’t really sure what he’d been asking or what Calum’s answer meant but he felt better and maybe it was the alcohol or maybe it was just Calum, bright like nothing else ever could be,

                “It’s not that bad,” Michael mumbled after a while, and Calum hummed thoughtfully.

                “What isn’t that bad?”

                “This Valentine’s Day, any of them,” He pressed the side of his face into Calum’s neck, wrapped his arm around his waist.

                “Why not?” Calum asked quietly, and if Michael had been sober he definitely would have heard the anticipation, the nerves. But he was drunk and he didn’t.

                “I’m with you. Always end up with you for Valentine’s, don’t I?”

                They fell silent and Michael fell asleep, but Calum stayed awake for a long while after.  

 

 

**2014**

Michael hadn’t given any thought to getting out of bed – he was content to get some video games going in his bedroom at his parents’ house, maybe go back to sleep once he had been awake long enough to justify a nap.

His phone started buzzing beside his head though, and he turned to see Calum’s name bright across the screen.

                He answered before the second ring – not like Calum didn’t already know he was pathetically alone that day.

                “Hey!” Calum was bright, so bright and Michael didn’t even wish for a second that he could be talking to someone else. Maybe he was growing up. Maybe Calum still made everything better just by being. “Happy Valentine’s Day!”

                “You too,” Michael tried to sound bright, tried to match Calum’s enthusiasm but probably fell a little short. Would probably have fallen short any other day – no one was bright like Calum.

                “Any plans for today?”

                “As if,” Michael laughed, or maybe it was more of a scoff, didn’t matter. Calum knew.

                “Me neither! Was thinking, we’re here, it’s been a while, could go for some pizza,” he said it like it hadn’t been a while, like it was any day after school or after band practice, like they weren’t just there for a short visit and like it wasn’t fucking Valentine’s of all days and somehow that was exactly what Michael had been hoping to hear.

                “Come over?” He asked, just as casual. “We can order Dominos or something, play Mario Kart?”

                “Be there in ten!”

                And then Calum hung up and Michael glanced around as if it mattered if his room was clean. As if Calum hadn’t seen Michael make a much bigger mess before. He considered changing out of his worn Star Wars pajama pants but couldn’t be bothered. It was Calum and video games and pizza and it was where everything was right in the world, and where he didn’t need to make any impressions.

                He did head downstairs and poke his head in the living room, quickly announcing “Calum’s coming over,” to which his parents nodded, unsurprised.

                He perched himself on the step by the door to wait, mindlessly scrolling through Twitter until he heard Calum’s knock on the door.

                He opened the door to Calum, dressed in his usual black skinny jeans but paired with a gorgeous navy dress shirt, grinning wildly and holding out a plush puppy. “Happy Valentine’s Day!”

                “You said that already today,” Michael, surprised, accepted the puppy pushed into his hands without thought. “I didn’t get you anything,” he added dumbly, like it was a usual thing, like he should have known.

                “You didn’t have to! Just know how much you like it, so—” Calum shrugged and started bouncing up the stairs. Michael trailed behind, and by the time he was in his room Calum was ruffling through his closet.

                “What—”

                “Have you even done laundry since getting home?” Calum was grimacing as he flicked aside a polo shirt that Michael probably hadn’t ever even worn. He picked up the shirt and replaced it in the closet, bringing him only a foot from Calum.

                “We’re on a holiday! It’s a break!”

                “But you have nothing nice to wear!”

                “Why do I need something nice to wear?”

                “Because!” Calum sighed, not meanly but out of exasperation, like Michael was missing the obvious. “I’m taking you out!”

                “Why?” Michael laughed, the whole thing suddenly so absurd and surreal and absolutely adorable.

                “Because! It’s Valentine’s Day!”

                “And?”

                “And you love Valentine’s Day!”

                Michael fell silent for a few seconds, and finally laughed again. “I thought you said you wanted pizza?”

                “I do!” Calum’s eyes flickered down for a second, just a second but Michael had known him long enough to know that he had just started to doubt himself, his plan. “I thought — well I thought maybe we could go to Santa Ana’s, like we used to.”

                “But why would we need to dress up for that?” He noticed his voice soften, not consciously, but enough to make Calum smile.

                “Because it’s Valentine’s Day. You dress up for dates on Valentine’s Day.”

                Michael laughed softly, and Calum would later claim that he started blushing (he didn’t though). “Are you asking me out?”

                “Are you really going to say no?” Calum grinned when Michael laughed again. “It’s Valentine’s Day!”

                “I would say yes any day, you idiot,” and he realized then that it was true, that it was him and Calum and always had been, in their way, and then Calum stepped forward and suddenly they were kissing.

                It was so easy, which really didn’t surprise Michael because it was them, it was Calum and Michael, and everything had always been easy. Everything had always just fallen into place.

                And so their lips were sliding together and Calum’s hands were on his hips, pulling him in and Michael had his arms wrapped around Calum’s neck, clinging, keeping him close. He wasn’t sure whose mouth opened first but their tongues were sliding together and it wasn’t awkward – there was no need to find their footing. They were kissing like they had been doing so for years and years, kissing like they were made to do nothing else.

                Calum pulled pack first, just a little. Just enough to inhale some air, still close enough for Michael to feel his breath on his lips. “Good?” He asked, as if it was a question.

                “Very. Obviously.” Michael rolled his eyes because he had to and Calum laughed and pulled away a little more, turning to the closet.

                “So are you going to find something to wear so I can take you on a date, or—?”

                Michael pulled himself closer to Calum – he hadn’t let go of his neck yet. “As long as I get more making out later?”

                And Calum laughed and kissed him again, this time more of a peck though, quick, like a habit, and Michael wondered how they had taken so long, and wondered how Calum was ever going to get Michael to let go of him again.  


End file.
